Deadline nears for lottery winner

Time is running out for a missing £64 million lottery winner to come forward and claim their prize.

The mystery multi-millionaire has just one day left to claim their £63,837,543.60 riches and, if they do not, their ticket will expire.

The lucky winner has until 11pm on Wednesday to cash in the ticket which was bought in the Stevenage and Hitchin area of Hertfordshire for the EuroMillions draw on Friday June 8.

The all-important numbers on that date were 5, 11, 22, 34 and 40, and the Lucky Star numbers were 9 and 11. The missing ticket-holder matched all five main numbers and both Lucky Star numbers.

The National Lottery has appealed for all lottery players to check their tickets and perhaps even search some of the more unusual places where "lost" tickets have been found in the past.

According to anecdotal evidence from the National Lottery, the top 10 spots where tickets have been discovered are: 1. in a bin bag that was about to be collected; 2. in the make-up bag of a winner's secretary (Morris Mogg, £1.9 million, 1997); 3. in a pot in a glass display cabinet (Iris Jeffrey, £20 million, 2004); 4. In a car sun visor, and 5. under the dog's basket.

The sixth top place where tickets were found was down the back of the sofa; 7. under a fridge magnet - a winner only discovered the ticket after the overloaded magnet fell off the fridge; 8. in a shoebox in the back of a winner's car (Chris Jackson, £250,000, 2000); 9. in a winner's shirt pocket, and 10. inside a tin of cat treats.

If the £64 million EuroMillions prize is not claimed, the money, plus all the interest it has generated, will go to the National Lottery Good Causes - adding to the £29 billion already raised through sales of lottery tickets since the National Lottery launched in November 1994.

Anyone who believes they have a winning ticket for any of the draws within the 180-day deadline should call the National Lottery Line on 0845 910 0000.